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Novr. 10th. Matthew Mead: Tryon advanced upon Horseneck soon after sunrise in 1779, at least the horse (advanced party) did. The vanguard of horse was within half a mile of us, when the alarm gun (one of the old cannons) was fired, and the main body followed not long after. The main column advanced by the road and the flank parties through the fields. The Americans were about surrounded before they retreated. Part of them retreated south easterly, and about a quarter of a mile south east of the village were overtaken by the British horse. An American soldier retread for safety under an apple tree with low and long branches. A horseman followed him round the tree striking with his sword. At length the American shot him through the mouth, the ball passing probably through his head. This happened in what was commonly called the “horse-lot” owned

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at that time by Mr. Grigg. One side of the horse lot was then full of bushes and the other side was an orchard. The soldiers fled for safety through the orchard to the bushes which they all reached but this one. After he killed the trooper, he mounted his horse and rode off. I never heard whether or not this foot soldier was a Frenchman from Canada. The salt works must have been over towards Coscob. The British didn’t retreat till afternoon, and were followed as far as Byram by the Americans. Putnam was with the pursuing party in the afternoon, urging his men on, crying out – “Drive on, boys! – on, on!” Col. Holdredge commanded here at the time, I think. Captain Fowler advanced from Sherwood Bridge, coming in [into] the village at speed with loud shouts. The sentry was at or near a house on the side of the road, and east of the stone house that stands there now. The sentry didn’t see

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see the Refugees till they were close to him. Fowler’s party left the Sherwood Bridge road here at my house, and took a private road leading from my present place through the woods to near Zaccheus Mead’s barn, and then marched to Horseneck upon the road leading from Zaccheus Mead’s house. The sentinel consequently didn’t see them till they turned the corner by the stone house. He then hailed, but they were upon him in a moment and he surrendered. Fowler then galloped to the guard house (which stood on the north side of the road where a white house now stands) and called upon them to surrender, but they fired eight or ten shots, killed his horse, and mortally wounded him in the neck. The dragoons instantly surrounded the guard house, but the Americans would not surrender. They then fired the house and pursued the guard as they came out through the fields killing nine of them. This was, probably, the whole number. This guard

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was composed of drafted men – six or nine months men from back in the country. One of them was a boy of fourteen or fifteen. He was overtaken by a dragoon who had let his sword fall, and who told the boy if he would pick it up and hand it to him he would give him quarter. The boy complied, but when the trooper received his weapon, he struck the lad with it in the neck and almost separated his head from his body. The guard house was burnt and also a house owned by Daniel and Joshua Smith which stood near the meeting house. There was an old woman burnt to death in this house. Captain Fowler was taken into the house next east of the guard house on the north side of the road where it stands at the present time being known as the Nat. Mead House. He (Fowler) was wounded in the neck and complained of suffocation. They took off his cravat

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and he died in a few moments afterwards, having previously directed his watch, silver buckles, &c. to be taken to his wife. Col. John Mead, I believe, commanded the Americans at this time. They drove off a great many cattle at this time, my father’s among the rest. They returned by Byram where the infantry awaited them. The infantry advanced to a hill within three fourths of a mile of the Horseneck Meeting House. They took at this time seven or eight prisoners from Horseneck, active whigs. Among the rest they took our clergyman, Revd. Mr. Burritt. They (the prisoners) were taken to the Sugar House, but soon after were exchanged. Capt. Fowler entered Horseneck about daylight. Once during the winter, the Refugees came up about daylight and went to old Greenwich where they collected all the cattle they could, and in about three or four hours returned. They

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crossed Mianus river and advanced beyond Palmer’s hill, which lies directly east of Titus’s Bridge. They were pursued and many of the cattle retaken. I never heard of their being so far east at any one time. Captain Frink belonged to the American horse, was an officer, and they jumped him – that is, promoted a junior officer over him. Offended at this we went below, and afterwards used to come up with Refugee parties. I think he originally belonged to Sheldon’s and that he belonged to that regiment when he deserted. I never heard he was a spy for the Americans. When Brom Barrett was hanged, Donaldson pretended he was a deserter. Col. Mead was not taken from his horse when made prisoner. They paroled him immediately. One Timothy Brown was taken with him. During the last years of the Revolutionary war, Horseneck was

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between the lines. The American lines were drawn back, running from Palmer’s Hill across West Chester Creek towards Croton river. Titus’s Bridge was the most advanced of the American posts on the east end of the lines.